Remember the Tenth of October
by MaryJane1913
Summary: The story of Naruto's birth and sealing of the demon... seen through the eyes of the 4th Hokage. OneShot. Please Review.


**Remember the Tenth of October**

**By: Karlene Ramirez**

I kept pacing back and forth outside the hospital room. What was taking so long? My hands felt numb and cold, waiting for the doctor to peek in. I knew my wife was going through the pain of a lifetime, but, most of all, I knew what sacrifice she was making.

"_You can't have this baby," said the doctor, "if it is born, you will die during the birth."_

"_If that must be done, then I'll do it," she said, "not only for the sake of my child, but for the village." She held my hand and held it tight, showing no fear to the doctor. Once we stepped out of his office, she gripped my hand harder and let a tear roll down her cheek._

"_Can you make me a promise? Promise you'll name him after my grandfather… Please do me that favor." I didn't respond, but kissed her on her heated, red cheek, tasting the tear she had cried._

I wanted to go into the delivery room with her, but the doctors refused to let me in. I wanted to be by her side, holding her hand as our child came to see the light, and as she took her final breath. I never wanted this to happen, but it was all we could do.

For years we had dreamed of having a child, being able to teach him how to love and care. To watch him grow into an adult that would make us proud. I had dreamed of his laugh and smile, of the moments I would hold dear to my heart until I grew old and gray. But these moments would never come….

… They would stay a dream forever.

The sounds around me drove me crazy. I wanted to break free from this stress and live a life of peace and happiness… I never wanted it to end this way.

A nurse ran out of the room with blood covering her arm and hands. The apron she wore was dripping with fresh blood stains, those of my wife. She ran past me to the front desk and spoke to the receptionist. "Call for more nurses, it's going worse then expected."

At that moment, I sensed a strong aura coming closer to the village. I felt large footsteps underneath my feet. It was getting closer; it was twenty miles from the village.

The nurse ran back into the delivery room, without even so much as a glance to me. The ground shook again, only fifteen more miles before it reached us.

Suddenly, the village alarm started ringing, and the hospital panicked. People in the waiting room sprinted out of their seats and ran to the emergency exit. I didn't move. I wasn't going to leave my son and wife alone… not now, not ever.

More nurses ran into the room, but it was just to alert those already inside that the demon was coming. A storm of people started leaving the room, but I stopped them from going far. "You must finish," I demanded.

They all stared at me with fear. All they wanted was to escape, find a place that they could hide and continue with their lives. But I wouldn't let them, unless my son was born. The doctor pushed to the head of the group. From all of them, he had the most blood and fluid stains around him. He removed his mask and glared at me. "We must go to safety, Hokage. Is it not your duty to protect us? Get out of the way."

"No!"

They all took a step back as I narrowed my eyes to them. It was a stare I only gave to my enemy, but this birth needed to be done or my reason for Hokage would be a failure and so would the death of my wife.

"You would let us die for your child. There are more of us then that one child. It's already too late for your wife, but please, Hokage, spare our lives."

"Don't give me a lecture on how much I care about my village. That child needs to be born for the sake of the village, and if not, then not only would you, but the whole village will fall."

A large rumble crawled from underneath the ground. Out of the blue, I heard my wife scream loudly from inside the room. I pushed through the crowd and entered the room. Blood has never been a sight that made me nauseous. After so many battles, I had seen enough bloodshed that only few could imagine, but this was different.

Never had I seen a loved one in so much agony.

She screamed again, the same sound that some made when I took their lives. My eyes blurred, and my body went numb. I couldn't move, standing still as the doctor and nurses ran back into the room. There was blood everywhere, dripping onto the floor and on all the tools used. They mixed with other fluids from the birthing process, looking as if hundreds of people had been killed in one room.

My wife had blood all over her, with a pool of tears running down her face. I could only image the suffering she was enduring. My eyes watered as I took a gasp of air. She yelled again.

"I see the head," screamed the doctor, "you need to give one last push and this will all be done."

Her face was pale white, as if she were covered in fresh white snow. Her eyes started rolling back as her body started losing life. She took large huffs of air, each one getting weaker. Before she pushed, she opened her eyes and looked at me. Her normally bright, blue eyes were white and weak, slowly fading to nothing. She stared at me longingly, lifting her rubber-like hand to me. She imperceptibly smiled at me, "I love you." Her voice was so low, I could hardly hear it, but they were the most loving words I had ever heard. She had said it to me so many times before, but never had I felt it so much as today… as if we were two young love birds once again.

I walked to her and grabbed her frail hand, and held it unyieldingly. I moved my face closer to her, "And I love you." She closed her eyes, but didn't stop smiling. I kissed her tenderly on the forehead as she gave her last push. When she pushed, her grip tightened on mine.

The sound of young crying came from the direction of the doctor. In his arms he held what appeared to be a ball of blood. He quickly handed it to a nurse with a blanket, cleaning the newborn. I could hear him crying as they wiped away the drops of blood all over him. "It's a boy. We have a son," I cheerfully said.

I looked down to my wife. She was crying again, but it was no longer from pain. She tearfully looked at our son and grinned. "What is his name?" asked a nurse holding paperwork of the baby.

"Naruto… His name is… is… Naruto…" She could hardly speak, but smiled as she said his name, "I love you… Naruto…" Her grip loosed, and her hand fell from my hold. I quickly turned to her.

It was all over….

A tear rolled down my face as a nurse placed a blanket over my wife's face. They rolled her body away, where I would never see her again. All of a sudden, the ground shook again, and the village alarm rang harder. The room's doors swung open as a group of ninjas walked toward me. In the front of the group was a man I knew very well. His white hair, spiked up to the side, a mask over his mouth and nose, and a Konoha head band over his left eye. "Sensei, the demon is outside our village. We need your assistance," said Kakashi.

I wiped my tears away and took charge. "You all go ahead of me, I will be there soon. Split up into groups and work as a team. Kakashi, I leave you in charge until I can arrive. Tell the Third that I will arrive soon." He nodded his head and ordered the others to prepare the ninjas.

Before he walked away, I grabbed him by the shoulder. "Kakashi," I tensely said, "Good-bye." I let go of him and walked to Naruto. I pushed the nurses away and grabbed Naruto, who was wrapped in a blanket. "All of you take cover; I will take it from here."

They all froze, not knowing if this was the right thing to do. "I said 'go,' that's an order!" They hesitantly ran out of the room. "Sensei, what are you doing?" asked Kakashi.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now go and help the others… Go!"

He ran out of the room without another word, but looked back at me with wonder. He was a proud ninja, one I had grown to respect as a ninja, man, and friend.

I held Naruto close to my chest as the ground shook again. This time it felt like an earthquake… The demon was inside the village.

Naruto started to cry from the shake. I rocked him in my arms, calming him down. He stopped crying and began to suck his thumb. I gazed at Naruto, taking in every detail of my son. He had my hair, face, and smile, but he had his mother's large eyes and shine. I smiled, holding him tightly in my arms.

I never knew a love like this existed, until now.

The ground shook again, but I pressed Naruto near me, so he wouldn't sense a thing. I had to move quickly. I ran out of the hospital, dodging those that were trying to escape the hospital as well. Once I reached the door, I saw the village in a state I never thought I would witness: of panic and destruction.

People were scattered about the village. Ninjas were running to the front line, or helping villagers find a safe location to hide. Smoke filled the night sky, which normally shined with the glistening stars and bright moonlight. The smoke traveled from the front of the village, where I could see the buildings of the area slowly burning with intense red flames.

I moved quickly.

With Naruto held near my heart, I ran to gate entrance of the village. I rushed past villagers and ninjas without them knowing my presence. Like the title that was given to me, I moved like a yellow flash. In a quick glimpse, I saw the monster ahead of me. It wasn't my first meeting with the demon, but I hope it would be my last.

I rocketed past the demon's legs, but for a moment, I knew it sensed me. As I crossed past its legs, it turned its head to look at me. For those few seconds, our eyes connected, with a deadly stare in both our eyes.

As I ran past its long nine tails, it roared furiously at me, making the ground shake. I almost lost my balance, but I swiftly got back on my feet. "Wait!" I heard a familiar voice scream behind me. I looked back and saw my dear friend, Sarutobi, the third Hokage. He must have seen me, when I stubbed, but I couldn't stop.

"Please," he screamed, "stop! Don't do it!" But I ignored him. He knew what I was planning, and even though he had objected to it, I knew it was the only way to save the village from the fox demon. He knew that being Hokage was more than a leader, but a person that the village would trust to save them, even if it meant their own life.

And I am a proud Hokage.

Although I didn't say it out loud, I send you a goodbye, Sarutobi. It was good while it lasted. Thanks for being so great to me… and please, when you see him again... tell my sensei, Jiraiya, goodbye as well. I looked up to both of you. Thank you for all you have taught me, and I know we'll meet again.

I moved as far away from the village as possible, but I knew that the demon was going to follow me. It tends to follow the powerful. I could feel its footsteps behind me, but luckily I was moving quicker. I could hear the shouting from the ninjas behind me. "It's fleeing!" they screamed in pride.

They started to cheer as if they had defeated the monster, but I could tell that Sarutobi was telling them the truth. In a few minutes, everyone in the village will know what I am doing.

I reached the top of a large hill a few miles away from the village. Waiting at the top of the hill was a small pillow with candles surrounding it, and a large seal written around it and on the ground. I had prepared for this for so long. There was so much work I put into perfecting this seal and it had to work today… or everything and everyone will die.

I could feel the ground shaking underneath my feet. Animals in the forest started running across the forest, trying to escape the demon. I placed Naruto on the pillow and took the blanket off of him. On his stomach I finished the last piece of the seal.

The ground shook again and Naruto started to cry. I lit the candles and prepared for the demon. I looked back to the demon. Its golden eyes pierced through the night sky, smoke rising from behind it as it stomped its way to me. Behind it was my village, the village I was born, grew up, and loved with all my heart. I could see it perfectly from atop the hill. I gazed at it one more time, as if saying goodbye to all those I leave behind and to all my memories.

The fox demon roared at me once again.

This time I stood my ground and didn't lose my balance from the vibrations of his voice. I took a deep breath and started my hand seals. I need to concentrate on this jutsu. Naruto cried louder as the demon approached me. As I completed the jutsu, I could sense my life slowly withering away. The demon growled from pain as it took affect. It wailed as it got sucked into my jutsu and into Naruto's body. The longer the jutsu went on, the more I felt my life being taken away from me.

As the last of the jutsu took action, I turned to Naruto and looked at him with tearful eyes. I had hoped that I would watch you grow and teach you all that I knew. I wanted to play with you and watch you become a person I would be proud to call my son. I wanted to hold you in my arms and hug you whenever you were scared or when you smiled. I wanted all of that and more, but I knew this would never happen. I'm sorry Naruto, for leaving you alone. Please know that I loved you… even though it was only for an hour… your mother and I love you. And we know you will make us proud because we already are.

"Naruto… Goodbye…"

Then, it all went black.

Dear Mom and Dad… where ever you are,

Today is that day again… October tenth… my birthday. It's not fair. Most kids love this day. A day they get to celebrate the day they were born, but not me. Today, if anything, is the most depressing day of the whole year.

Although I've been having a better year than I normally have, finally passing the academy and becoming an official ninja, I know that today will be no different than all the past birthdays I've had.

To the village, this is the anniversary of the village tragedy and the cause of it is sealed inside of me.

I wish you both weren't dead. I know that if you both were alive, you would make my birthday special, no matter what the rest of the village thinks.

But I don't even know who you both were, so who am I to say you would think that way?

Regardless, today I have a mission with my team. It's nice being in a team. Sakura used to be annoyed by me, but I'm sure she doesn't hate me anymore. Sasuke is almost like a brother to me. Kakashi is awesome, too… I'm sure you would have liked him, dad… at least I hope you would have.

The mission will take my mind off of the glares I'm getting in the streets. Normally I get these glares when I'm walking alone. Only recently did I find out why.

Mom... Dad... Why was I chosen as the child to seal the demon in? No one else can tell me… or at least they won't tell me why.

It doesn't matter now. The village still doesn't respect me, but I'm not worried. One day they will all respect me. I'll become a great ninja and then a great Hokage… better than the fourth. I promise.

I love walking up to the headquarters. It puts a smile on my face every time. I'm one step closer every mission.

"Kakashi-sensei? You're on time today?"

Kakashi stood near the entrance to the headquarters. He scratched the back of his head and looked at me with a smile behind his mask. "What? I'm not always late."

"Yes you are. You're never on time."

"Oh, Naruto, that isn't very nice." We walked together through the halls. He opened the doors to the Hokage's office.

"Surprise!"

I looked around the room to see everyone. All the rookie teams that graduated along with me were in the room, throwing confetti at me. Tsunde, Jiraiya, Iruka, and all the senseis stood in the back of the room, with large smiles on their faces. Sasuke and Sakura walked to me with a large cake in their hands. It was lit with large candles.

The cake read, "Happy Thirteenth Birthday Naruto."

I let a tear roll down my cheek as I looked at every face in the room. "Blow out the candles," said Sasuke.

"Don't forget to make a wish," said Sakura.

I closed my eyes and made my wish. With one swoop, I blew out all the candles. Everyone cheered and all I could do was smile. "What did you wish for?" asked Sakura.

"I can't tell you. Then it won't come true." We all laughed.

Dear Mom and Dad… where ever you are,

Between you and me, I didn't make a wish… because my one true dream finally came true.


End file.
